The Enigma Challenge
by Alyson Metallium
Summary: A series of shortfics that connect into one larger story, which is my response to The Narrator's Enigma Challenge on the Zutara LJ community.
1. Turn Around

**Notes:** This is my response to The Narrator's Enigma Challenge on the Zutara lj community. Basically she gave us some song titles and challenged us to write fics to them. Somehow, I managed to churn out a series of shortfics that all interconnected into a larger story. Go figure.****

Turn Around

Katara's world took a sudden change for the bizarre when a hand reached out of a dark alleyway, grabbed her arm, and yanked her into the darkness in order to press her back against one of the walls. It took a full two minutes for Katara to get her bearings, and by that time Zuko had slipped the end that held her braid together off and was combing his hands through her hair. As soon as she recovered from the slight shock of having his body press against hers, she quickly made a move to bring her hands up and defend herself. Sensing her intention, he quickly caught both of her hands in one of his and pressed them over her head while he continued to undo her hairstyle.

She shifted again, ready to bring up a knee in a desperate bid for freedom when he whispered a harsh "don't" against her ear. A shudder coursed down her spine at the feel of his warm breath against the shell of her ear, and she blinked in confusion, for his voice had sounded almost . . . afraid. Stilling the urge to get away, she took a closer look at her surprise captor and realized that his attention wasn't on her at all, but rather was focused on the opening of the alleyway. She could sense his internal tension in the way he was holding himself so still against her, which told her that whatever he was waiting for couldn't be a good thing.

He finished unbraiding her hair and turned his attention back to her, and when he saw that she was no longer trying to get away, he carefully released her hands, ready to catch them again should she be trying to bluff her way out of the situation. But Katara let her hands fall harmlessly to her sides as she gazed at him with puzzled blue eyes.

"What's going on?" she whispered, somehow knowing that keeping her voice down would help her get through whatever it was she needed to get through.

"I don't think she saw you," he said by way of an answer, his attention once again focused on the opening of the alleyway.

"Who?"

"Azula. I don't know how she got into the city, but . . ," here he trailed off, thoughts running through his mind and being reflected in those brilliant gold eyes, eyes that Katara had seen close up on several occasions.

Katara felt her entire body go cold at the memory of the Firebender with the blue flames, but that didn't answer her new question, which was why had Zuko chosen to keep her from being spotted.

"Why did you grab me?" she asked.

"I need to get to Uncle and warn him that Azula is in the city," Zuko answered, and his body stiffened a bit when he heard footsteps start to approach the mouth of the alleyway. "And the last place she would expect to find me, and you, for that matter, is standing right here like this."

So saying, he quickly wrapped his arms around her in a lover's embrace and buried his mouth in the junction where her neck met her shoulder, turning his head so that his lips ran over her necklace strap and up her neck slightly before stopping as he simply breathed in her scent. Katara froze, and then she heard the footstops, too, just when she had thawed enough to think about clobbering him with her water bending. Sucking in a breath, she quickly wrapped her own arms around Zuko's back and leaned her face into his neck, making sure to position herself in such a way that she could watch the street herself. As the footsteps came closer, Zuko's arms tightened against her, and she realized that he couldn't watch what was going on because he had to keep his face hidden in her hair.

Katara's entire body snapped taught as she watched a familiar individual pause at the opening of the alleyway. She didn't realize it, but her hands had clenched against Zuko's back, her fingers digging sharp little points into his muscles. Azula only took enough time to glance at the two "lovers" and their passionate embrace, then gave a slight snort before walking on. The two stayed in each other's arms for several moments longer, waiting to make sure the girl didn't return, before separating. 

Zuko gazed at her for a moment, and, though she couldn't understand why, Katara felt her face heat up with a blush. What happened next was completely unexpected.

"Thank you," Zuko said softly, then added, "You should warn your friends that Azula is in town and on the hunt."

Katara nodded her agreement, and Zuko turned and walked away. She watched him carefully look around before he stepped back into the sunlight of the street beyond the alleyway, then she reached back to her hair and began to rebraid it. Her fingers brushed against the spot where he had pressed his mouth as they wove quickly through the dark strands, and she decided that she wasn't going to tell the rest of the group about this little adventure.


	2. Modern Crusaders

**Modern crusaders**

She stood uncertainly outside the little tea shop, trying to gather up the courage to go in. She shifted from one foot to the other, and wondered once again just why she had spent so much time hunting this little place down. All she could do was chalk up her current location a sudden curse of impulsiveness . . . and the fact that she had overheard a few ladies talking about the wonderful tea that was served by an old man and a rather handsome, but scarred, youth.

_It might not even be him, and if it is, what am I going to do? Walk up and say, "Thanks for warning me about the fact that your psychotic sister is in town, can I convince you or your uncle to help teach Aang fire bending?" Yeah, right._

Katara sighed, stiffened her spine and marched into the little shop. She was led to a small table near one of the windows of the little sitting area, and while she waited to be served she glanced around, surprised at the variety of people that patroned the lower ring store. There were soldiers, which was to be expected, but she spotted several well dressed women from the upper ring, women who were giggling and blushing in a way that made Katara a bit suspicious. 

"Well, hello. It's nice to see you again." She glanced over and blinked when she saw Zuko's uncle standing there, in an apron, no less, smiling widely at her. So she had been right. He _was _here. 

"Hello again . . . ," she began, only to be cut off as Iroh interrupted with, "Mushi, my dear, and surely you remember my nephew, Li." 

Katara's eyes darted in the direction that Iroh indicated, and had to suppress a small smile at the look on Zuko's face. He looked like he had been sucking on a lemon, his eyes narrowed and his cheeks pinched, but he didn't hesitate when his uncle told him to serve her some Jasmine tea. He didn't look at her, either, but she found she didn't mind. It gave her a chance to marvel over actually seeing him wearing an apron. 

After a few minutes, she realized why the other women had been giggling. When Zuko walked by their table with another tray of tea, one of the women "accidentally" dropped her spoon. When she bent down to retrieve it, her hand "accidentally" brushed against Zuko's backside, causing the exiled prince to jump slightly and flush with anger and embarrassment.

Katara narrowed her eyes, finding that little display to be distasteful and demeaning for someone as proud as Zuko. Still, she was amazed that he didn't explode in anger then and there. A laugh caught her attention, and she turned to see Iroh chatting with another customer, and the reason behind Zuko's uncharacteristic restraint became apparent. 

Katara narrowed her eyes further, and watched the women closely. The next time Zuko passed by, the woman again dropped her spoon. Only this time, when she bent down to retrieve the spoon and go for another brush of Zuko's butt, she jerked back with a startled surprise as something sharp stung the back of her hand. A little later the incident repeated itself, and this time the woman looked up in time to watch as Katara bent her tea out of the shape of the Water Whip and back into her cup. Katara took a delicate sip of her cup, unflinching, narrowed blue eyes meeting those of the woman and getting her message across without words. _I'm watching you._

Zuko spent the rest of his work day unmolested, a fact which he was thankful enough for to agree with his uncle when he suggested they let Katara drink all the tea she wanted for free.


	3. Silence Must Be Heard

**Silence must be heard**

At first she ignored his silences, chalking the angry resentment that came off him like waves to the fact that this was Zuko, and angry and Zuko were two words that went hand in hand with each other. It wasn't until several days had gone by that she began to notice a change in his silences. Puzzled, she became curious and began to pay closer attention to the newest member of their group. Gradually, she noticed that the resentful expression only appeared whenever Iroh was instructing Aang in Firebending, and the anger showed up whenever the young Avatar mastered yet another technique. Putting two and two together, Katara realized that Zuko was jealous of the fact that Aang was picking up Firebending so quickly, learning in days techniques that it had taken Zuko years to master.

_As if Aang has the luxury of taking his time in learning this,_ she thought angrily as Zuko suddenly stood up and stalked off into the surrounding woods. _It's not like Aang asked to be the Avatar, and it's only natural that he pick up other bending techniques easily. Look at how quickly he mastered the Water Whip just by looking at that scroll . . ._

Here Katara's thoughts screeched to a halt so quickly that her head actually snapped forward from the impact. Memories began to replay themselves behind her eyes, of her own jealousy and anger as Aang easily mastered the water bending techniques she had so painstakingly worked with and practiced on her own in a desperate attempt to give relief to the raging power that screamed inside of her to be let out. She remembered how unfair she thought it was that she, a Waterbender, was unable to instantly master the Water Whip, while he, an air bender, had been flawless with his first try.

Katara took a deep breath and got to her feet. She made a quick check to make sure that everyone else was distracted before she turned and followed in the direction that Zuko took, not seeing Toph's knowing smile as she left.

She found him sitting next to a small stream, and at first she thought he was meditating until she saw his shoulder twitch slightly in reaction to her encroaching presence. She quickly figured that his ignoring of her was his attempt to pretend to be meditating in an effort to get her to leave him alone. She found his silence interesting, because prior to joining their group, he would have loudly proclaimed for her to leave him be while following it up with fire bending being thrown in the direction of her head. Of course, that was before everything else had happened, and she herself had changed, as well. Before, she would have left him to his quiet, seething resentment, figuring that he much preferred to be alone. Now, she walked up and plopped herself on the ground next to him, closing her eyes as she listened to the light voice of the stream.

The silence continued to stretch between them, not uncomfortable, but not that peaceful, either. Finally, in a quiet voice, Katara began to talk.

"I'm pretty sure you remember the water scroll that I stole from the pirates several months ago," she paused to gauge his reaction, but his face remained impassive. With a mental shrug, she continued, "I was so happy to get something that would finally teach me some water bending techniques that I didn't want to share them with Aang at first. Then I figured it would be easier if we both learned the bending forms together. What a disaster that turned out to be. I was so jealous when he learned the Water Whip before me, and that only got worse the longer I tried to master the technique. Sokka still likes to remind me about that, now that I think about it.

Anyway, in all the time that I've been traveling with Aang, I've learned something interesting about him. He may be quick to master the other elements, but his main bending power will always be air bending. Even if he knows every single trick available for all the elements, he's going to lack the ingenuity he has for air bending, simply because he has to retain that balance between the other elements. So even when he does master all four elements, he will always be a bit weaker in anything that's not air bending."

She fell silent, letting the sinking sun paint her face with its gentle rays. After a few moments, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and gave a start when she found that he had turned to face her directly, those harsh golden eyes boring into her own with an intensity that she would have found frightening . .before. Now, though, she had come to recognize that intensity as simply _Zuko_, and it no longer frightened her.

She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she certainly wasn't expecting the brief smile that he gave her, one that was devoid of the sarcasm and harshness that usually graced his countenance. He then stood and stretched, before turning to head back into the direction of camp. His softly spoken words were just barely audible, and Katara had to really strain to hear them.

"Who said I was jealous of his bending?"

She blinked at his retreating form, wondering if she had been wrong with her interpretation of his silences.


	4. Shadows in Silence

**Shorte note:** I completely forgot, I own Avatar!!! And if you believe that, I have some lake front property in the Sahara Desert that I'd like to sell you.  
**  
Shadows in Silence**

_Why can't he be more like . . . _

She felt like such a traitor. Katara couldn't help but wince a bit as Iroh patiently went over yet another fire bending move with Aang, only to have the young Avatar turn the lesson into yet another game that involved the volatile element. She knew that Aang had gotten better as far as his concentration went as he continued to work on mastering water bending and earth bending, but there were times, like today, where his age became apparent in his lack of interest in the severity of their situation.

She sighed and glanced out of the corner of her eye at the figure who sat so still near the edge of the practice field. Zuko was meditating again, a practice he took part in every time Iroh worked with Aang on his fire bending. Katara had been curious about why he meditated so much, but when she asked Zuko about it all she got in response was a snarl. She had given up on that line of questioning, but quickly put two and two together from snippets of conversation she had overheard between uncle and nephew. Apparently, Zuko was trying to learn to master lightning, but was having a hard time due to the fact that his mind and emotions remained in turmoil. So he was meditating in an effort to come to some sort of peace with himself.

Katara hated to admit it to even herself, but she really did admire the determination and drive that Zuko had exhibited from the very moment they had first run into the exiled prince. When Zuko made up his mind that he was going to accomplish something, he put his entire heart into the endeavor and pursued it with such passion that she knew he would sometimes become blind to the things that surrounded him.

Her attention returned to the lesson when she heard Iroh let out a frustrated laugh as he joined in the game that Aang had created, and once again she couldn't help but wish, in the deepest recesses of her heart, that Aang had just a smidgen of Zuko's drive and dedication. If he had, then she might have been able to sleep easier at night instead of constantly worrying that he wouldn't master the other three elements in time to stop Ozai before Sozen's comet crossed the sky again.


	5. The Cross of Changes

**Notes: Don't own 'em. Wish I did.**

**The Cross of Changes**

Things in the group had finally started to settle down when an incident happened that changed everything. Even though Katara, Toph and Aang had accepted Zuko and his uncle's presence in their group, Sokka still remained on guard around the exiled prince. It wasn't because his instincts screamed that Zuko couldn't be trusted, because, quite frankly, his instincts were being stubbornly silent about the Firebender. 

No, Sokka just didn't trust Zuko, period. His uncle was ok, but the Water Tribe youth couldn't help the small niggle in the back of his mind whenever he saw his sister and Angry Boy together. It wasn't that Zuko was being unpleasant. In fact, the former prince seemed to have managed to calm some of the inner rage that had been such a part of him when he had first met the group. He was still arrogant and obnoxious on occasion, but lately he seemed to prefer retreating into silence instead of exploding in flames, which Sokka figured was a major improvement.

It wasn't even that Zuko was treating Katara any differently from the rest of the group. Truth be told, he appeared to withdraw even more whenever the Waterbender was around, not exactly being completely rude, but definitely brisk in his manner whenever the girl would ask him a question or try to engage him in conversation. He _had _caught Zuko watching her upon occasion, but the expression on his face was usually puzzled, so Sokka didn't think any more about it.

Things might have continued in this vein for some time if Momo hadn't taken matters into his own paws.

The group had finally stopped for the night and were quietly chatting and eating their dinner. Zuko had chosen to remain a little apart from the rest of the group, watching them interact with one another. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that when a light weight landed on top of his head, he couldn't stop the slight yelp of surprise from escaping his lips.

Everyone stopped eating and turned to look at the surprised prince, and Sokka promptly burst out laughing while he pointed at Momo's innocent visage as he perched on top of Zuko's head while calmly eating his nightly ration of fruit. The rest of the group began to giggle and laugh until they saw that Zuko's face was steadily getting redder, and Sokka started to get to his feet in order to rescue Momo from his immediate burning when Zuko did something so unexpected that half of the group's mouths dropped in surprise.

He laughed.

And not just a light, "Ha-ha, joke's on me" type laugh. Oh no, this was a full bodied laugh, one that involved not only the vocal cords and mouth, but also the eyes. The rest of the group stared in shock, while Sokka wondered briefly if Zuko had finally snapped, before joining in with his laughter. It was then that Sokka saw Iroh actually wipe away a tear from the corner of his eye, and he realized that Zuko was truly laughing in amusement, and not out of some mental insanity.

_Guess he's not used to hearing Angry Boy over there laugh,_ he thought to himself.

After that, Sokka relaxed his guard just a little around the Firebender. He still didn't trust him all the way, but if Zuko could laugh with everyone else at his own expense, whether it was intended or not, then he had come further than anyone, except, perhaps, Katara and Iroh, had given him credit for.


	6. Sadness

**Notes:** I still have that lake front property in the Sahara Desert for sale!

**Sadness**

Once she would have claimed that wild ostrich-horses could never drag this particular admission from her lips. Some things were meant to be kept private, especially when traveling in mixed company. Especially when one individual of said company was her brother.

But she could no longer keep her true feelings quiet, and so she finally voiced what had been on her mind ever since Zuko and his uncle had joined up with their group.

"I liked your hair better when it was long."

Zuko jerked and stared in confusion at Katara's retreating back. He then voiced his own admission, but this was one that he refused to keep secret from anyone.

"I don't understand girls at all."


	7. Mea Culpa

**Note:** Mea Culpa is latin for "my fault" or "my own fault".

**Mea Culpa**

She didn't know what shook her from her slumber. Vague remnants of a dream floated about behind her eyes, but she quickly shook off the lingering effects as she sat up and gazed around their encampment. The fire had burned down to a steady glow, the gentle warmth bathing the faces of her companions with its light.

Involuntarily her eyes came to rest on Zuko, and her brow furrowed a bit when she noticed that even in sleep, his face remained drawn and tense, almost as if he couldn't escape whatever demons were tormenting him even during what should be the most restful time.

She wondered, a bit guiltily, if his lack of restful slumber were partly her fault. They had gotten into a particularly heated argument, the subject of which she could no longer remember, and the end result had been the pair of them stalking off in different directions. She did recall saying something about how a "spoiled prince" couldn't understand the difficulties they had gone through to get where they were.

She had been angrily tossing rocks into a nearby stream when Iroh had appeared and settled himself onto the ground next to her. He didn't say anything, and it didn't take long before she broke and began to rant to him about his "idiot of a nephew". Iroh had held his own counsel until the words had stopped flowing. Once she had ranted herself dry, he had taken a deep breath and started to tell her a story filled with the lust for power, family betrayals, and a once gentle soul caught in the middle.

He told Katara the story of how Zuko got his scar, and she recoiled mentally and emotionally from the image the retelling invoked. He told of how Zuko had been changed from a thoughtful, gentle boy to the driven, steel cored youth they knew today. He told of Azula's lies and trickery, and finally recounted the tale of Zuko's mother; how she had vanished the same night Zuko's grandfather had died.

Now, hours after Iroh's recounting, Katara watched his nephew sleep with eyes that had knowledge of what had driven him in the beginning. Searching within herself, she found that she could no longer be angry. Frustrated, yes, but angry? That emotion had left the moment Iroh had recounted how Zuko had obtained his scar.

Knowing what she now did about Zuko's past, something she had wondered about but had figured it to be none of her business, she couldn't help but feel a small spurt of awe at the obstacles Zuko had overcome to get where he was today. She found herself wondering what she would have done if Sokka had been trying to hunt her down and bring her home as a prisoner, and found that her insides turned to ice.

As she continued to watch, Zuko's brows suddenly furrowed even more and he let out a snort. Blinking, she heard him mutter something that sounded like, "no more tea, uncle" before he rolled onto his back, and his face finally relaxed fully in sleep.

Katara stifled a small laugh as she lay back down. It was no use losing sleep over events that she couldn't change, especially since they were all working towards a changed future.


	8. Morning Through Time

**Notes:** The usual, not mine.

**Morning Through Time**

To him, it resembled one of the more elaborate Fire Nation dances; where there was no designated leader and the moves were almost impossible to predict. Sometimes the dancers appear to move in harmony, almost communicating silently as they went through the movements. Other times the dancers resemble combatants, their movements sharp and angry and the very air seems filled with tension.

Iroh had learned long ago how to take pleasure in the simple things, but watching the extremely complicated courtship that was taking place between his nephew and the waterbending girl was the most fun he'd had in years.


	9. I Love You I'll Kill You

**Notes: ** A little darker than the others, rating has gone up to suite it.

**I Love You . . . I'll Kill You**

Ozai glared down at the body of his fallen son, his face twisting until his lip curled in a horrible sneer. Zuko glared back at his father, his eyes narrowed with rage. After he had fought so hard, come so far, joined up with those he once hunted, and even found something he'd never thought he would have in Katara . . . surely it all wasn't going to end now.

"I see you've learned _nothing_," his father spat as he aimed a fireball at Zuko's head. Zuko quickly rolled to avoid the blow, his muscles and burned skin screaming in pain.

"You still disrespect me, and you're still _weak_. I see now that you'll never be strong, and to demonstrate just how pathetic you are, I'm going to teach you the most unimaginable pain an individual can suffer through."

Ozai suddenly whirled and aimed a massive blast of blue flames and heat towards the opening of the chamber. Zuko's eyes widened in horror when he noticed that Katara had stepped into the entryway, prepared to take on the Fire Lord with her Waterbending. He watched as her ice shield was melted away like it was nothing more than a simple rain shower, and then the flames engulfed her, burning away clothing, hair and skin until there was nothing left of the vibrant young woman who had captured his heart.

Zuko sat up and started to cough violently as a scream of rage and horror lodged in his throat, choking him. Sweat poured off his body as the last remaining remnants of the nightmare left his mind as a gentle hand touched his shuddering back.

"Are you all right?" Katara asked softly, handing him a cup of water and ignoring her brother's grumbled complaint about missing sleep thanks to the unwanted guest.

Ordinarily, Zuko would have waved away her concern in an effort to keep his distance, but the memory of her face as she died by his father's flames flashed in his mind's eye, and with a hoarse, "I'm fine," he took the cup from her and drank deeply. He ignored her surprised look as he handed the cup back to her with a muttered, "thanks".

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked again, her eyes full of concern.

This time he did wave her away, but he did so gently, so as not to cause offense. She watched him for a few more seconds, then turned and returned to her own bed by Toph. Zuko, in turn, lay back down, ignoring the worried glance that Iroh threw in his direction. He knew his uncle would try to worm what was bothering him the next morning, and Zuko resolved that no matter how tricky his uncle became in his questioning, he wasn't going to learn about this particular dream.

He also resolved to keep the dream's revelations to himself. No one could know about them, especially Katara.


	10. Push the Limits

**Push the limits**

It had been completely unexpected, but Zuko was coming to learn that in this particular group, unexpected happenings were considered _normal_. He would almost hate to find out what it was like when expected things happened. He figured that if he found that out, then it would mean the world was ending and it was time to trade in his broadswords for a hole in the ground in hopes that the ending would pass him by.

It had started like one of their usual arguments, though truth be told he could no longer remember what the original spark had been. Probably something stupid again, like the time an argument arose over the fact that he was so obviously not a morning person. Katara had stated that he made Early Morning Sokka look pleasant by comparison, which hadn't gone over great as Zuko and Sokka got along oh-so-well with each other. So of course a heated argument sprang up between the fire and water bender, and things pretty much stayed in that vein for several weeks.

So when yet another argument broke out between Katara and him, no one in the group had even blinked, and continued on with their original tasks. Toph had dragged Aang off to work on his earth bending, Iroh had wondered off with Sokka to do some fishing, and Appa and Momo had settled in for a nice nap. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary himself, just the usual routine argument. He had just worked himself up into a good rant when Katara sighed, rolled her eyes, and grabbed his upper arms. She effectively silenced him in the age old tradition used by countless people to put an end to diarrhea if the mouth by pressing her lips against his own.

The kiss lasted barely a minute, but by the time Katara pulled away with a triumphant smirk on her face, Zuko was so shocked that he was rendered completely mute. His eyebrow was somewhere around his hairline as he stared at her. She simply shook her head and walked away, muttering something about how for once her brother's advice to Aang had come in handy.

He was still standing frozen in place when Iroh and Sokka returned from their fishing expedition. Sokka shook his head, chalking Zuko's strangeness up to the fact that it was Zuko. Iroh, on the other hand, figured that something had happened, though no amount of badgering on his part could get the story from his nephew.


	11. Principles of Lust

**Principles of lust**

She yelled at herself to quit staring. She really did; and even added volume to her mental voice in an effort to slap some sense into herself and hightail it back to camp where she belonged. But no matter how much she tried to drag her eyes away from the river, Zuko would shift and her eyes would be dragged back by the way his muscles moved underneath his pale skin.

Katara hadn't meant to stumble across the young fire bender's bathing site. She had just been on her way to refill the group's water canteens. She cursed herself for her lack of inattention. She hadn't been aware of his presence at all until she was nearly out of the trees, and only by moving fast to duck behind the nearest tree had she managed to avoid detection.

She had told herself then that she should just return to camp, but curiosity is sometimes a stronger force than common sense, and so she had peaked around the tree at the young man she had once called her enemy, but now considered to be somewhat of a friend.

Zuko stood with his back to her, but that didn't prevent her breath from wheezing out of her lungs in shock, for the exiled prince was stripped naked and standing in knee deep water. She had expected that he would at least have kept his pants while bathing, but oh was she wrong. Startled blue eyes roamed the flesh that was presented unknowingly to her, taking in the taut muscles that rippled beneath pale skin every time Zuko moved. He turned and twisted slightly as he washed, then suddenly sank down until his entire body was submerged.

Katara drew in a deep breath and held it, then released it in a barely audible moan as he surfaced facing in her direction. He resembled some ancient water god as the liquid streamed over his body, outlining his build and flowing downwards towards . . .

She swallowed a squeak and this time managed to drag her eyes away until she pressed her back against the tree she was hidden behind. Her face was flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and something darker that she didn't recognize. Making a snap decision, she decided to stay where she was, hidden with her back against her tree as she waited for Zuko to finish his bath. Heat kept suffusing her body every time she heard the water splash, and she was just thinking about forgetting gathering water when sounds alerted her to the fact that Zuko was coming out of the river.

After a few moments, his footsteps sounded from several feet away from her hiding place, and she knew that he was on his way back to camp. Still, to be safe, she waited a few more minutes before going to fetch the water. As it was, she had to fight the blush that wanted to grace her cheeks when Sokka questioned her about her why it had taken her so long to return.

"It was such a nice day that I decided to take a walk through the woods. Really, Sokka, you worry too much," she replied coolly, congratulating herself on how even her voice was.

As usual, Sokka replied in an irritated tone that it was his job to worry about his little sister, thankyouverymuch, and next time she got it into her head to take a walk to alert someone in the group before she vanished for an unknown period of time.

She glanced at Zuko out of the corner of her eye as she promised, relieved to see that he was being his usual grumpy self, which meant that he had no idea he had been spied on during his bath. And Katara resolved to keep it that way.


	12. The Landing

**Notes:** Not mine. Zuko's commentary regarding the throne is something that came to my mind while reweatching "Zuko Alone", and seeing the way his mom reacted to what Azula had to say. Since his mom is such a huge influence on his past, I can kind of see him coming to this conclusion. Well, at least he does in MY world. (grin)

**The Landing**

Zuko stood on one of the many balconies that lined the Fire Lord's palace and gazed out at his homeland. It was finally over. His father had been defeated by the Avatar and he had helped to aid in his defeat. Now it was just a matter of stopping the war and bringing the soldiers home where they belonged. 

Establishing peace and maintaining it were going to be much harder than fighting a war had ever been.

He sensed someone come up behind him, but he was long beyond the point of flinching when Katara reached out to lay a hand against his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she asked. 

_Really_, he thought, _She's been asking me that a lot here lately._

"I'm," he paused a moment to gauge his mental and emotional state. "I'm fine."

"But, are you feeling ok?" she persisted.

"In all honesty? I feel hollow," he answered truthfully. "I figured I would at least feel triumphant, especially after the way Father exiled me. But I feel nothing beyond a vague curiosity about what we're going to do about Azula."

"That's pretty much up to you now, isn't it, Fire Lord Zuko?" Katara asked, a soft light in her eyes.

"Don't call me that," he said softly, but with an edge of steel behind the words that caused Katara's jaw to sag slightly.

"But, aren't you . ."

"I don't want the throne any longer," he said.

"Why?" she asked, baffled. All he had talked about was restoring his honor and returning home, and she figured it was so he could take his place as heir to the throne. She just couldn't fathom why he was talking about throwing it all away now.

"I've been thinking, and while thinking, remembering things from my childhood. I think my father stole the throne from the rightful heir, though I'm not sure how he managed to accomplish that. Maybe he convinced the officials before grandfather's funeral."

He quickly told Katara about his father's meeting with Fire Lord Azulon, and how Azula had dragged him behind a curtain in the audience chamber to listen in on the real reason their father had requested the meeting.

"I highly doubt Grandfather had any plans to make Father Fire Lord after he died, and I think the throne should be restored to its rightful heir. Besides, I think Uncle would be much better at working Peace Treaties with the other elements and convincing the Fire Nation that they no longer have to fight," he finished.

Katara reached out and took one of his hands in hers and gave it a slight squeeze. He gave her a surprised look, then smiled softly and squeezed in return. There was still plenty to do and talks that had to be held, but for now, the two maintained a comfortable silence as they watched the sun creep across the sky.


	13. Age of Loneliness

**Notes**: As of writing this, I had not yet read "Rhythm of the Rain" by DamageCtrl. Since then, I've read two chapters (I'm saving it for next week when I'm taking care of the barn by myself and need something to keep me entertained) and noticed that my little short is a tad similar as far as a certain detail goes. Great minds think alike? Again, not mine.

**Age of Loneliness**

Zuko stood at the shores of the pond that had once been his mother's favorite place to rest. The once pristine area was overgrown, and looked like it had been neglected for years. Water weeds had grown to where it choked the very area that had once teemed with fish and turtle-ducks, and the beautiful flowers that had perfumed the very air looked withered and faded. The Fire Lord had obviously turned his back on the garden in the same way he turned his back on his own son, and if the rank water and overgrown foliage weren't proof enough of that fact, then the body of the mother turtle-duck he had found earlier were.

He felt a prick of pain in his palms, and realized that he was clenching his fists so hard that his nails were digging into his flesh. He knew he shouldn't have expected any different from his father, but to see actual evidence of how Ozai had lusted for power above everything, including his family, drove home the fact that he had needed to be defeated more than anything else.

"Zuko? Hey, Zuko!?"

He blinked the blurring from his eyes and turned in the direction the voice had come from. Katara was picking her way through the wild jungle of vegetation to him, her eyes worried as she reached his side. He expected questions, and was vaguely surprised when none came. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and found that she was staring at the weed choked pond with sadness.

"It must have been beautiful once," she said softly.

"It was," he replied, just as softly. And like that, the floodgates opened and words began to pour out. He told her about the days spent here with his mother, what it was like to have to grow up with Azula constantly out doing him in firebending, his conviction that girls were still crazy (present company excluded, of course), and the fear that had coursed through his body when Azula had come gloating over the fact that their grandfather had allegedly ordered his own father to kill him.

"'You're lucky to be alive' is something he constantly told me after grandfather died. Before, he would tell me that I was 'lucky to be born'," he said bitterly. "I never thought any more about the change in wording, I just figured it was something else he would say to make me feel . . . . well, anyway, looking back, I just wonder if Azula weren't telling the truth when she said Father had been ordered to kill me."

Katara remained quiet, giving him the space he needed to work through his muddled feelings. She had heard some of this before (it was amazing how simple silence could pull some of the deepest confessions from Zuko's tired soul), but that still didn't stop her from being horrified at the sheer cruelty of the man that had once called the scarred youth "son".

Zuko had fallen into silence, but he suddenly stiffened beside her and began to look around. When she opened her mouth to ask what had caught his attention, he quickly shushed her and knelt next to the water's edge, searching through the weeds for . . . something. 

He moved weeds aside and ran his hand over the small patch of bare ground that had been revealed. He strained his hearing, knowing he hadn't been wrong, it was just proving to be more difficult to follow the faint sounds to their source. He continued in this way for a few more moments before he found what he was looking for. The ground beneath the weeds had been disturbed and looked as if something had been digging there recently. The faint noises that had caught his attention were coming from beneath the dirt, and with a sudden desperation Zuko began to lightly scoop the loose dirt out of the small depression he had located.

Within moments he had uncovered a single turtle-duck egg, which was vibrating as the little turtle-duckling fought against the shell that encased it.

"Can we help it?" Katara asked, kneeling next to Zuko in the dirt.

"No, mother always said to let nature take its course," Zuko responded just as there was a faint crackling noise and a small beak peeked out from the hole in the shell.

Moments later, the turtle-duckling had emerged from the egg and lay panting on the ground, its eyes bright and curious as it gazed at the new world around it. Katara was enthralled with the little baby while Zuko was thankful that at least one of his mother's favorite pond pets had survived. He was shocked, though, when Katara picked up the turtle-duckling and it began to emit frantic peeps of distress, all the while looking in his direction.

Katara blinked, surprised, then a sly grin crept across her face as she quickly handed the baby over to him, forcing him to take it before it was accidentally dropped to the ground. The little creature sighed contentedly and, for lack of a better description, snuggled up against his chest.

"Um," was all Zuko could think of to say, while Katara's grin grew wider.

"What do you have there?"

The two turned to regard the new Fire Lord Iroh as he walked up to them. The old man was gowned in the royal trappings of his new station, and seemed just as comfortable in them as he had been in his Earth Kingdom travel garb. He smiled when he saw the little turtle-duckling snuggled in his nephew's arms.

"I see you've managed to find one survivor of your mother's favorite pets," he said as Zuko handed the little creature over to his uncle, who inspected it closely. Iroh visibly started a bit when the baby let out a rather loud squawking protest, and quickly returned it to his nephew.

"It's been doing that ever since it hatched," Zuko said, bewildered.

"You were there when it hatched?" Iroh asked, his lips twitching as he fought to hold back a grin.

"Yeah, it hatched right over there," Katara said, pointing back at the pond.

"Then, Zuko, that little one has imprinted on you," Iroh said, his voice sounding a bit strangled, as if he were fighting to hold back laughter.

"Imprinted?"

"It means that the first thing it sees that moves becomes permanently fixed in its memory, and it will follow that being for the rest of its childhood."

Katara burst into laughter at that announcement, while Zuko gazed down at the little turtle-duckling in growing horror.

"You mean . . ."

"Congratulations, you're now a mother!"


	14. Gravity of Love

**Notes: **Not mine!   
**  
Gravity of love**

"Um, Zuko, you have a little fuzzy thing with a shell following you," Sokka said when Zuko entered the dining room after Iroh and Katara.

"It's a turtle-duckling," Katara explained while Zuko muttered something dark under his breath.

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain why it's following His Royal Crabbiness around like he has it on some invisible leash."

"Apparantly, it's imprinted on him," Katara said, and went on to explain just what imprinting was when Sokka gave her a blank look.

"So, that little fuzz ball thinks that Zuko is its mother?" Sokka asked, his expression a cross between amused and incredulous. 

"Pretty much," Katara replied.

There was a snort of muffled laughter from Aang and Toph, but Sokka didn't even try to hide his reaction. He burst into deep, gut wrenching guffaws. A muscle began to tick in Zuko's jaw, but before he could do or say anything, Sokka had leaned down and picked up the little turtle-duckling, gazing at it while tears of mirth leaked down his cheeks.

"So _snicker _what's a cute little thing like you _cackle _doing with a grumpy sourpuss like him?"

The turtle-duckling let out several indignant squawks, and Sokka laughed even harder, almost dropping the little creature as his hands shook with his mirth. The baby let out a frightened peep, and then its weight was suddenly gone. Sokka blinked, staring at his empty hand, then looked up to where Zuko towered over him, his new "daughter" held gently in one hand.

"Be more careful, you almost dropped Kaiya," Zuko snapped, glaring down his nose at Sokka.

"Kaiya? You named her?" Katara asked, delighted.

Zuko flushed red and turned for the door, but not before the others broke out into fresh laughter as Toph quipped, "Awww, that's so _sweet_."

Zuko flung a rather acidic comment over his shoulder before he stalked out of the room in search of some bread for Kaiya. Katara rolled her eyes and shot Sokka and the rest a halfhearted glare before taking off after Zuko. She really did think it was sweet that he had named his new "pet", and fully intended to tell him so.


	15. Smell of Desire

**Notes: **As always, wish I owned them.   
**  
Smell of Desire**

He watched as the two opposite benders fed Kaiya on the garden lawn below his veranda. Iroh sighed, feeling his age and all the battles that had been fought settle into his bones. The entire journey had been long, sometimes heartbreaking, and at times inspirational, but to watch as Fire and Water talked and argued over the care of a little turtle-duck was worth every spirit breaking step. 

A movement behind him caught his attention, and he turned to watch as Aang came to him. The young Avatar had aged far beyond his years in just a few short months, but he still had that sparkle in his eye that said he was constantly looking for a new adventure. 

"Do you think you know yet who you might name as heir, Fire Lord Iroh?" Aang asked, leaning on the veranda railing and watching his two friends below. They had graduated from arguing to taking their relative anger and frustration out on the hapless plant life that was choking the pond. 

"Oh, there's no thinking about it. Zuko's going to ascend to the throne sometime, it is his ultimate destiny," Iroh answered calmly. 

"But Zuko says that he no longer wants the throne," Aang said, scratching his head. 

"He might not want it now, because everything that's happened has worn his soul out, and he's tired. But ten years down the road, he may start thinking about it again. Being born to rule is a hard fate to lose completely." 

"Do you not worry that he'll turn out to be like his father? He did, after all, pull something similar back in . . .," Aang was stopped in his commentary by Iroh's gentle smile. 

"I believe in my nephew, and I believe in the friends he now has. He still has a lot of growing to do, but now that he's firmly set on the right path things will start to work out for him. So I'm taking the throne temporarily, even if Zuko doesn't realize that it's temporary, until he's had a chance to travel and learn more about the world and how the elements balance each other out." 

Aang nodded in understanding, and then vaulted over the railing to join in the impromptu gardening session taking place below. Iroh smiled when he heard his nephew laugh at something Aang said, finally feeling the weight that had settled earlier lift off his shoulders. 

His nephew would learn and continue to grow, and when his time came, he would take the throne and rule the Fire Nation the way it had been ruled 100 years before the war. With strength, grace, and most importantly, honor. And perhaps, he mused as he watched the heated argument break out below him, his wise and trained eyes picking up on subtle nuances of body language and unseen connections, his nephew would be bringing one other with him to the throne.


	16. Beyond Invisible

**Notes**: I own them all!!! Or I will as soon as all the characters come out as action figures. What, you didn't think I was claiming to own the show, did you? Honestly.

**Beyond Invisible**

"You look good in Water Tribe clothes. The blue really brings out the color of your eyes."

Zuko grunted in response as he stood in front of her and gazed around at the whiteness that was her home. He suppressed a shiver as a cold wind blew over his head, but Katara, being ever observant, noticed how he stopped himself from rubbing his hands over his arms in an effort to ward off a chill.

"Really, Zuko, you're supposed to wear the hood up over your head," she chided gently as she reached her hands up and around his neck, intending to pull the parka hood in place.

"Wait," he began to protest, but a loud and very indignant squawk issued from the inside of his hood when Katara began to lift it and halted his words. She dropped her hands from it in surprise.

"What on earth," she muttered as she circled around him and peered into the interior of the parka.

A wide grin spread over her face when she saw Kaiya nestled in the bottom of the hood as she peered up at Katara with her bright, inquisitive eyes. She had wondered how Zuko intended to keep the little Fire Nation creature warm in the extreme colds of the South Pole, and now she had her answer.

Zuko shuffled his feet slightly as Katara came back around to face him, and no amount of will power could prevent the embarrassed flush from staining his cheeks crimson when he saw her smile.

"You make such a good mommy," she teased, reaching up to brush a hand gently across his scarred cheek.

"Shut up," he grumbled back, turning his face so that his lips were pressed against her palm, the gentleness of his gesture easing any sting his gruff words might have caused.


	17. Return to Innocence

**Notes:** Last fic in this particular shortfic series. Thanks, everyone, for reading, reviewing, and just enjoying.   
**  
Return to Innocence**

_Everyone knows that it's impossible for time to run backwards._

"Come on, you won't get anything done just standing there like an ice sculpture!"

"At this rate, I'm going to become an ice sculpture. Are you certain that this is necessary?"

_Mistakes that have happened before can never be corrected._

"Yes, I'm certain. You've never lived until you've experienced this at least once!"

_Past tragedies are remembered only by the scars that are left._

"Just why exactly did I let you talk me into coming to this forsaken place where I'm doing nothing more than freezing my a-"

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!"

_Happier times are remembered with laughter and sometimes tears._

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course I'm sure, now quit stalling and come on!"

_But even though time can not flow backwards, it does continue to flow forwards._

"HOLY SH------!!!"

"WHEEEEEE!!!!"

_And the new, happier memories can always out number the sad ones._

"What are you thinking about, Gran-Gran?"

"I was just thinking that if someone had told me I would watch my granddaughter teach the formerly exiled Prince of the Fire Nation how to penguin sled, I would have laughed them out of my igloo."

Thanks for reading!


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